Thursday News, December 6

Lawmakers Visit With Community Leaders

(Le Mars) -- State Representative Chuck Soderberg and State Senator Bill Anderson visited with community leaders representing the city, school, hospital, chamber, and area businesses during the Chamber of Commerce Legislative Luncheon. The state lawmakers told the gathering of the priorities for the upcoming General Session of the state legislature. Both lawmakers say the state budget is a major concern. Anderson, a Republican from Pierson, says whatever takes place in Washington with regards to the budget will trickle down to the state level. Soderberg, who will assume the role of chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, says Iowa's budget is doing o.k. but heavily dependent upon the federal government's subsidies. Soderberg says Iowa's budget is approximately $12 billion dollars of which half is generated from Iowa tax revenues, and the other $6 billion is funded from the federal government. Anderson says he expects the Democratic controlled Senate to seek additional tax credits with property taxes, as opposed to any tax reform. Listen to

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Soderberg told the group that there is a good news - bad news scenario with the state's

finances. Listen to

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The area lawmakers addressed questions from the crowd that dealt with allowable growth funding for school districts, mental health levy, the state's infrastructure including the proposed hike in gasoline tax, tax incremental financing or TIF, and deregulation.

Arlene Urban Honored By Le Mars Community School District

(Le Mars) -- The Le Mars Community School District has announced the recipient of the "Employee of the Month" honors. This time the honor goes to Arlene Urban who works in the Education Center in the Central Office building. Arlene works in the printing department. According to the nomination submitted by Gale Horan, Arlene Urban is instrumental to every teacher and staff member being a great employee. She is responsible for us having all our classroom materials printed-laminated-collated-punched-stapled-bound, and in a timely manner that allows us to be our best. She is organized, and helps us to be organized as well. I don't know how she gets everything done for us during the year, to say nothing about the summer crunch. She helps make books for students, booklets for the different buildings whether it be for registration, or stats for organizations. She is responsible for many of the programs for extra-curricular events. She always greets us with a smile if we have something last-minute or special to get done. I know that Arlene and her great work are appreciated by many at all levels of education whether it be preschool or high school. I know that I personally very much appreciate everything that Arlene does to help me do my best in my classroom.

Bodies Found By Hunters Feared To Be Missing Cousins

EVANSDALE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say hunters have found bodies believed to be two young Iowa cousins who disappeared while riding their bikes in July. Black Hawk County sheriff's Captain Rick Abben says two bodies were found Wednesday in a wooded area, though he wouldn't say where.

He says the families of the cousins, 9-year-old Elizabeth Collins and 11-year-old Lyric Cook, were told of the discovery and are asking for privacy.Abben appeared to fight back tears, saying "it's definitely not the outcome that we wanted. "Abben says the bodies are being sent to the state medical examiner's office for identification.

The girls vanished July 13th near Meyers Lake in Evansdale in northeast Iowa. Their bikes were found near the lake.

Vigil Held For Missing Cousins

EVANSDALE, Iowa (AP) — Dozens of people gathered for a candlelight vigil for two Iowa cousins who disappeared in July, just hours after investigators announced that hunters had found two bodies in a wooded area. The vigil was held Wednesday night at a lake in Evansdale where investigators had found the bicycles belonging to 9-year-old Elizabeth Collins and 11-year-old Lyric Cook. Some of the roughly 70 people attending the prayer vigil were holding out hope that the bodies weren't those of the cousins. Others seemed resigned to the tragic news. Barb Collins, of nearby Waterloo, says the community is grieving. Black Hawk County sheriff's Captain Rick Abben says the girls' families were told about the two bodies and are asking for privacy. The bodies will be identified by the state medical examiner's office.